Hen&#39;s nest



C. WILLEFORD.

HENS NEST. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 19, 1919.

1 3535 3920 Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

liq (i1, 30 6 2 J/MW A CHARLES WILLEFORD, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOWA.

HENS NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed December 19, 1919. Serial No. 345,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WVILLEFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hens Nests, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hens nests and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple and efiicient device of this character in which the nest is equipped with means for automatically closing in the hen while laying and to be automatically opened when the hen desires to leave the nest.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character in which a door of the device is normally open and upon the hen stepping on the floor of the device the door is maintained open, then upon the hen moving toward the back of the housing the door is automatically closed and held closed until the hen again returns to the portion of the housing adjacent the door.

A still further object is the provision of a hens nest having a flooring pivoted intermediate its ends so as to utilize the weight of the hen for facilitating both opening and closing the door of the housing.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment'of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a hens nest embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with portions broken away to show underlying parts;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the device; and

ig. 4 is a rear view of the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have indicated a housing made up of side walls 5, a front wall 6, a rear wall 7 a roof 8 and a floor 9. The floor 9 is provided with upwardly extending ears 10 which are preferably pivoted as at 11 to the sides 5.

The front wall 6 is provided with an opening 12 and a door 13 hinged as at 14 to the front wall so as to close the opening 12. The door 13 is preferably provided with an opening in which a screen 15 is secured so that a hen can see through the door either from the inside or the outside of the nest.

On the front wall 6 is a hook member 16 to which a coil spring 17 is attached. The other end of the coil spring is attached to an ear 18 on the door 13. The spring 17 has suiiicient tension to normally hold the door in the position indicated in Fig. 1.

At each of the side walls 5 a catch 19 is pivoted as at 20. The catches 19 are adapted to engage a rod 21 which is secured to the front of the door 13 to lock the door closed. The members 19 when in their full line position indicated in Fig. 1 automatically engage and lock the rod 21 when the door is closed, but when the members 19 are thrown to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 the door 13 may be opened and closed as many times as desired without being locked, since the members 19 will not engage rod 21.

A rod 22 is attached to the door 13, at each side of the latter as at 23 and the rear end of each of said rods is connected with a rotary member 24 journaled as at 25 to the side walls. The rear end of the floor 9 is provided with a nest 26 and the nest 2G is connected to the members 24 by rods 27. The arrangement is such that the spring 17 normally holds the floor, nest and door in the positions indicated in Fig. 1 when there is no hen in the nest so that the door is open for the entry of the hen. Upon the hen entering the opening 12 the front end of the floor 9 when stepped upon tends to give downwardly, thereby tending to hold the door 13 open and facilitating the action of spring 17. The parts are also so arranged that the weight of the hen when on or adjacent the nest 26 pulls down on rods 27, rocking the members 24 and closing the door 13 by means of the rods 22. Thus the nest will be closed against the entry of another hen until the hen on the nest leaves the latter and moves back near the door opening 12. IV hen the hen is on the floor near the opening 12 her weight facilitates the operation of the spring 17 insuring that the door 13 will be opened.

hen it is desired to keep track of the eggs laid by a certain hen, or for any other desired reason, the hooks 19 are placed in their full line position in Fig. 1 and then, upon the hen entering the nest she will be locked in until someone releases the hooks 19 from the rod 21. As a matter of convenience a door 28 may be provided on the rear end of the device so that one can reach through the opening under the door 28 and remove the hen from such opening or the eggs can be taken out through this opening. Any form of door 28 may be provided which will answer the purpose.

It will be found that the device is also suitable for use as a coop, and when so used an opening 29 may be provided in a convenient wall such as one of the walls 5 for small chicks to run in and out freely without the door 13 being opened. The device is very suitable as a coop for the reason that the hen will automatically shut herself in, thus saving the trouble of someone following up the hen in the evening and closing the coop. A convenient handle 30 may be provided, when so desired, for facilitating movement of the coop or nest about.

Vhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of my invention, 1 do not desire to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hens nest comprising a housing having an opening in one side; a door closing said opening; a floor pivoted to the housing on an axis at a substantial distance above said floor; a member pivoted to the housing above said nest; and rods connecting said members with said door and floor, said parts being arranged so that the weight of a hen on the floor adjacent the door tends to open the latter and when the Weight of said hen moves to the other end of the floor her Weight tends to close the door.

2. A hens nest comprising a housing having an opening in its front side; a door closing said opening; a floor pivotally mounted in the housing and reaching from the front to the rear of the latter; a nest on the rear end of the floor; a member pivoted above the nest; a rod connecting the member with said nest; and a connection connecting said member with said door.

3. A hens nest comprising a housing having an opening in its front side; a door closing said opening; a floor pivotally mounted in the housing and reaching from the front to the rear of the latter; a nest on the rear end of the fioor; a member pivoted above the nest; a rod connecting the member with the nest; a rod connecting said member with said door; and a spring engaging the door tending to hold the latter open, said floor being pivoted so that a Weight on such floor adjacent the door tends to act with the spring and a weight in the nest tends to act against the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 12 day of December, A. D. 1919.

CHARLES l/VILLEFORD. 

